John Champlin is the 3rd great-grandfather of Belle Champlin (John Champlin, Edward Champlin, John Champlin, Erastus Champlin, Henry Charles Champlin, Birdie Belle Champlin).
John Champlin, son of Christopher Champlin and his first wife, was born at Westerly, Rhode Island in 1686. He died abt. 1746 at Lyme, New London, Connecticut. He married Elizabeth Raymond, daughter of Joshua Raymond and Mercy Sands. She was born 18 November 1687 at Block Island, Rhode Island. She died 1766 at Lyme, Connecticut. They had 8 children.
John Champlin resided at Westerly, Rhode Island where he was a constable. About 1711, he removed to Lyme, Connecticut after receiving a parcel of land from Lt. Colonel John Livingston at Niantick.
In 1720, when the Town of New London, Connecticut opened the lower road to Lyme and established a rope ferry at Niantick Bar, it assigned the lease to John Champlin. He operated there, for a number of years, the rope ferry at 'the bar' on the road from New London to Lyme, crossing the Niantic River.
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| Location of rope ferry at Niantic Bar |
Lat.41.32, Long.72.15
"Across the Niantic river the road runs over a sandy bar and a bridge, still called the Rope Ferry from the ancient manner of crossing, into the town of Waterford, on Jordan Creek. By way of Bank Street it enters the center of New London."
- Handbook of New England, 1917
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| Rope ferry bridge |
In 1723, a Major Peter Buor purchased the adjoining property and laid claim to the rope ferry. A long court battle ensued which Champlin lost causing him to surrender his lease to Buor.
On March 30, 1725, a great horse race was held on John's property. Five horses were entered at 40 shillings each. Major Buor held the purse. A Mr. Bly's mount was declared the eventual winner.
